The Complete Allergy-Free Comfort Foods Cookbook Review

When we hear about “comfort foods”, many of us have distinct, and very personal, ideas of what these foods mean to us. For some it may be the hearty, rich foods that seem to keep us warm during the cooler (or colder) winter months. For others it may be those foods that we know will help rejuvenate us and keep us feeling healthy. And for yet others, it may mean the decadent indulgence of a yummy dessert or luscious snack food.

With all of these visions in mind, I’m excited to share with you a great new cookbook that brings comfort foods from all of these categories. Author, Elizabeth Gordon, has deliciously captured the comfort food idea in her newest work, The Complete Allergy-Free Comfort Foods Cookbook. Every recipe she shares is free of gluten, dairy, soy, nuts, and eggs. That’s quite an endeavor … and she’s done it with style (her photography is eye-catching) and palate-pleasing recipes that are the epitome of comfort foods.

Knowing I would be reviewing this cookbook, I wanted to personally delve into some of Elizabeth’s recipe creations and bring some those flavors that are so creatively shared into my own kitchen. I started by trying her Fried Chicken recipe. I haven’t had fried chicken since I was a kid, when my mom made it frequently. I’ve honestly never made fried chicken because I try to minimize the fat in my cooking, so venturing into the gluten-free fried chicken world was not really a feat I was interested in pursuing. But reading her recipe, knowing the work of making a gluten-free option had already been done for me, and seeing the recipe photo, made me say, “I need to try this!” And I must say, though my chicken didn’t come out as photo-perfect as Elizabeth’s, the flavors brought me right back to my childhood.

Since we love Asian food, my Daily Forage clan and I decided to also give the Pot Stickers recipe a go. We enjoyed the learning curve of making this recipe, and thought the flavor profile was delicious. While this recipe initially sounded intimidating, it wasn’t that difficult. These Pot Stickers provided, again, the outcome of comfort food pleasures.

While The Complete Allergy-Free Comfort Foods Cookbook has delicious recipes to share, there are other features included in Elizabeth’s book worth noting. When faced with the challenges of implementing dietary restraints, finding recipes that are delicious and workable is often only a piece of the puzzle. To truly become proficient in the culinary climate, understanding how ingredients and processes fit together to complement one another, given the necessary guidelines, is crucial. Elizabeth helps bring these important aspects to her readers in very easy to understand and helpful ways. One example of this is her “What the Heck?” section. Here she explains the key ingredients she uses in her book. A definition of the ingredient, along with why and how it plays its role in a recipe, and in some cases where the item can be purchased, provide the reader with a better understanding of the large, allergen-free picture.

Elizabeth also includes sections on Substitutions and Where to Shop. This information can be very helpful because, as the author shares, “… foods that seems innocuous to one person could be deadly to another.” She also notes that sometimes ingredients available in one locale, might not be available in another. By including substitutions and shopping guides, the recipes most likely avail themselves to anyone.

I am enjoying this cookbook very much, and plan to work my way through all the recipes, given time. My next adventure will be to make the Whoopie Pies. Or perhaps the Breakfast Cookies. Who could resist a (healthy) cookie for breakfast? Certainly not I.

Sharing this cookbook review with you has been a joy for me. I am excited to bring to you a new, delicious and nutritious … and safe … cooking resource. But there is one more piece I am excited to share with you. When I had the opportunity to personally chat with Elizabeth, I found her to be a most genuine and delightful person. She lacks any and all pretentious characteristics. I love the fact that while her cookbook refers to comfort foods, she brings the feeling of comfort through in her personality. Thanks, Elizabeth, for sharing a bit of you with us. Elizabeth has shared with me a short video clip about her journey. I find it expresses what I’ve learned about her personally. Be sure to take the extra moments to view her video.

Enter for your chance to win! We’re doing a give-away contest of Elizabeth Gordon’s The Complete Allergy-Free Comfort Foods Cookbook. Be sure to leave us a comment at the end of this post, sharing with us your favorite comfort food. We’ll choose one person to receive a free copy of this cookbook. Our contest will end on April 2nd at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Savings Time and is for U.S. residents. We look forward to hearing from you!